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Hi I'm Paul

I'm from Central Virginia, I love being myself no matter what people think, and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

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I don't think I can define myself in a stereotype. I love to do what's fun! I am a musician, athlete, video gamer, and novice nerf sword fighter. I love to be myself, and I love the opportunity to use what I have to make people happy! Around my home county of 3,000 people, I am known for performing in such roles as Conrad Birdie, the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Charlie Brown. Sometimes, you'll see me playing the trumpet with the marching band, or maybe I'll be out in camouflage pants, building a tree house.
My parents got divorced when I was twelve. It was a defining time in my life. For the next six years, I found myself living between houses, often feeling like I had no home at all. Growing up was a challenge, as it is for most of us. It took a few years of prayers, life experience, and maturity for me to finally realize that I don't have to let negative experience shape my life. Things have only gotten better from there!

Why I am a Mormon

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I’m a Mormon because I know that God wants me to be one! True happiness cannot come from anything except our Heavenly Father, and nothing brings me closer to Him than being a part of His church. Today, we have His priesthood authority to enter into covenants with Him, just as in the primative Christian Church. In the New Testament and the Book of Mormon, we are commanded to enter into the covenant of baptism. That’s what I did! Since being baptized, I have seen the hand of God in my life more so than I ever thought possible. I am now part of the Lord’s covenant people.
There is nothing more important in life than this; knowing and loving our Heavenly Father. This is why I am a Mormon.

How I live my faith

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I am serving a two year, full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Irvine, California (not a bad spot to be spent, huh?).
Every morning, my missionary companion and I study the scriptures for two hours so that we are prepared to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone and everyone. After studies, we get out and work! If we don’t have someone to teach, we’ll walk the streets to find people who want to listen to Christ’s message to them. My favorite thing is when we help people follow the example of Jesus Christ by be being baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God. There is nothing that makes me or them happier!
After nine p.m., we go back to our apartments. We plan for the next day, and then I read the scriptures, write in my journal, pray for the people we're teaching and for the ones we'll meet tomorrow, and go to bed!

Do you really believe there is a prophet like Moses alive today?

Paul

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God has always led His people through prophets. Almost every piece of scripture that we have today was written by or about prophets. When the people are righteous and follow the counsel of prophets, they receive all the blessings that their Father in Heaven wants for them. The same holds true today just as it did in all history, for God is a loving and un-changing God.
We can never know anything of God simply by doing research. We cannot receive the blessings of God's prophets unless we follow the counsel of the prophets. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ is led by His prophet because I have seen how much my family members have been blessed as they follow the commandments and counsel that they receive from him.
If you want to know from God that His prophet lives and guides us today, then follow the words of His prophet! See if they do not bring you closer to God as you live the way that He has asked you to do.Show moreShow less

What do Mormons believe concerning the doctrine of grace?

Paul

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Jesus Christ suffered and died for us so that we may receive the gift of the Atonement; having all of our sins made clean. When we die, we will be resurrected because of what Christ did for us. Resurrection will be a gift given to everyone, no matter what they did in life or how they were raised. However, we will be held accountable for what we did with His grace once we are at the judgment bar. Grace is the ability to be forgiven of our sins and move on from them, changing ourselves to be more like Jesus Christ.
If we do not use His gift to change ourselves, to rid ourselves of the ungodly parts of us, then we are truly wasting it. We are showing Christ that we do not want to use His gift, disregarding all of the pain and anguish that He used to pay for it. We are giving Him the ultimate disrespect. This is why we say that it is “by grace we are saved after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23). It is not that we are trying to earn our way into Heaven; we know that Jesus Christ has already paved that way for us and no earning is necessary or possible. We do, however, believe in using fully the gift that Jesus Christ has and is offering us. His suffering is not a free pass to commit sin. It is a way to escape sin and become like Him. Through our efforts to use His Atonement and overcome temptations, we take full advantage of Grace.Show moreShow less

What do Mormons believe about the nature of God?

Paul

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To better understand the true nature of God, we often refer to Him as our Heavenly Father. God is the father of our spirits (Acts 17:27-29, Romans 8:16, Hebrews 12:9). His love is like the love our earthly fathers have for us. Just like the men who raise us, God's desire for us is to be happy and to be like Him (Matthew 5:48). God, our Heavenly Father, does not sin. He is a perfect being with a perfect, immortalized body of flesh and bones. We are imperfect, sinful beings with bodies that will wear out and die. God, because of His great love for us, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the sacrifice for our sins and to pave the way for us to be resurrected with perfect, immortal bodies. Ultimately, through Jesus Christ, we become like our Father in Heaven. To learn more about the nature of God, our Heavenly Father, we must study the example and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. These things were given to us so that we may learn of the love that our Father has for us (1 John 4:7-9).Show moreShow less

What are Mormon church services like? Are visitors allowed at church meetings? Can I attend church?

Paul

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Mormon church is a lot like everyone else's church! Everyone is always welcome to attend. Every part of our church service is open to the public, and all of it is centered in Jesus Christ and how we can better understand and apply His teachings. Our church service is broken up into three seperate meetings. The first meeting is called "Sacrament Meeting", which is when the whole congregation sits in the chapel and partakes of the bread and water that is symbollic of the sacrifice of Christ. We then have Sunday School, which is generally broken up into different age groups (adults, youth, young children), where we learn about the scriptures in a more personal teaching environment. The last portion of our meetings is divided by gender. This is where we learn about how to be better husbands and fathers, wives and mothers, or better young men and young women in our communities. Feel free to visit us at any of our churches! There is nothing scary of bad or evil about it. You would be taught about Jesus Christ from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and I know that you would have a good time. Check it out!Show moreShow less